#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
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| Rashi is Simple Version 2.0 |
| (C) RashiYomi Inc., Dr Hendel President |
| http://www.RashiYomi.Com |
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VERSE: Dt16-18c
RASHIS COVERED: Dt16-18c Gn19-01c Gn23-18a Dt09-06a Dt09-06b
Dt15-07c Dt25-07a Dt17-05a Dt14-21a
========================= SHAAR=CITY=JUDGEMENT PLACE =============
VERY BRIEF SUMMARY
------------------
One of Rashis 6 main goals is to give the meaning of words the
same way a dictionary does. In explaining words Rashi may
-- explain the meaning of an unknown word
-- explain the fine nuances of a known word
(For example Rashi may explain the nuances of synonyms)
-- explain the meaning of a phrase of words
-- Show a unifying theme to disparate meanings of one root
Rashi explains the word SHAAR which technically means GATE.
SHAAR-GATE can also refer to a whole CITY and especially to the
Judicial Bench (COURTHOUSE) of the city.
---------------------------------------------------
TODAYS RASHI RULE: WORD MEANINGS
TODAYS RASHI SUBRULE: SYNONYM (NUANCES)
---------------------------------------------------
TODAYS SEARCH/LISTS
---------------------
Phrase searched -- *-Shin-Ayin-Resh-*
Database used -- a) Bible b) Rashi
COMMENT: Search shows verses where SHAAR means a) CITY or
b) Place of JUDGEMENT. See the lists below
REFERENCES
----------
The 6 Rashi rules: http://www.RashiYomi.com/rules-01.htm
The Rashi dictionary: http://www.RashiYomi.com/words.htm
TODAYS LISTS
------------
We present 3 lists
- Verses where SHAAR means CITY
- Verses where SHAAR denotes JUDGEMENT
- Rashis that comment on SHAAR
Here is the list where SHAAR means JUDGEMENT or PUBLIC
GATHERING PLACE to decide city actions (CITY COUNCIL)
================================================================
VERSE WHAT WAS DONE IN THE GATE
======= ========================================================
Gn23-01 LOT WELCOMES guests to city and invites them to home
Gn23-18 SALE of CHevron by Eprhon is done publicly to Abraham
Gn34-20 Chamor & Schem convince city to make TREATY with Jacob
Ex32-26 Moses orders EXECUTIONS for Golden-Calf Idol Worship
Dt25-07 Widow with no children undergoes YEVAMAH ceremony
Dt22-15 EXECUTION of ADULTERESS
================================================================
======================== SHAAR=CITY ============================
This second list shows verses where SHAAR means CITY
================================================================
VERSE TEXT OF VERSE WITH SHAAR meaning CITY
======== =======================================================
Dt14-27 Dont desert your CITY Levites who need food
Dt14-29 The widows/orphans of your CITY will come to eat
Dt14-21 Sell non kosher food to the non jews of YOUR CITY
Dt15-07c When you have POOR people in YOUR CITY give...
Dt09-06b Post Mezuzahs on your houses and CITIES
================================================================
================== SHAAR=CITY/JUDGE/PUBLIC =====================
In this 3rd list we review Rashis that explain that
SHAAR=CITY or JUDICIAL PROCESS or PUBLICLY
================================================================
VERSE Nuance of SHAAR Rashi and Text of verse
========= ================ =====================================
Dt25-07a Court Widow without child goes to COURT*1
Dt17-05a Court Idolaters are judged in COURT*2
--------- ---------------- -------------------------------------
Gn19-01c PUBLICLY Lot sat at GATE=He WELCOMES guests*3
Gn23-18a Publicly Eprhon sells Chevron PUBLICLY to Abrm
--------- ---------------- -------------------------------------
Dt14-21a City*4 Nonkosher to non-jewish CITY resident
Dt06-09a City MEZUZOTH (1) Courtyard (Me)
Dt09-06b City*5 Place MEZUZOTH on City/Country gates
Dt15-07c City*6 If you find POOR in your CITY
--------- ---------------- -------------------------------------
NOTES
-----
*1 By law if a man dies without children his brother must
either marry the widow or undergo a ceremony (YEVAMAH
CEREMONY) to break his potential bond to her. This
ceremony is done IN THE GATE (=COURT)
*2 The expression JUDGE HIM IN THE GATE (which means
JUDGE HIM IN COURT occurs frequently in the Bible.
See *10 for further nuances
*3 Rashi makes two points
- Lot was Judge
- He was appointed that day
Rashi knew that Lot was a judge from the phrase SHAAR
which means GATES & which is used to denote JUDICIAL PROCESS
For the explanation of how Rashi knew it was that day
see *11
*4 The verse says to sell the non-Kosher meat to ALIENS IN
YOUR CITY. Rashi explains that these people are
- ALIENS (not full fledged Jews)
- RESIDENTS OF YOUR CITY
Hence Rashi explains them as Noachides who accept the
noachide laws and dont worship idols (Thus they are both
ALIENS and RESIDENTS). (If they did worship idols it
would be prohibited to let them live in your city)
*5 Here is the exact verse
----------------------------------------------
Dt09-06 Write MEZUZTH on your HOUSES and CITY
----------------------------------------------
Clearly, WRITE..ON YOUR CITY means that the CITY GATES
and COUNTRY Gates must have MEZUZOTH (Dt09-06b).
Rashi derives two other inferences in Dt09-06a
-- You place MEZUZOTH on HOUSES & APARTMENT BUILDINGS
-- You need MEZUZOTH on only 1 (of the 2) doorpost
This involves other Rashi principles. See *12
*6 Rashi makes two points
- SHAAR means CITY (POOR OF YOUR CITY)
- The verse reflects a hierarchy
Here is the hierarchy
-----------------
When you have poor
-from your BROTHERS
-from your CITY
-from your land
--that God gives you
then give charity
-----------------
Rashi uses the principle of CLIMACTIC development
If you have 4 poor people before you and only have
money for one of them then
-- your relatives-BROTHER-comes first
-- your CITY poor comes next
-- your COUNTRY poor comes next
-- Jews all over the world come last
For other examples of climax visit
http://www.RashiYomi.com/example9.htm
------------------- LONGER FOOTNOTES ---------------------------
*10 Rashi makes an additional point. We know GATE=COURT but
- it could mean the COURT of the city of RESIDENCE
- it could mean the COURT of the CITY of IDOL SIN
In other words if John from Brooklyn worships idols
in Baltimore (and is found in Baltimore) do we try him
in Baltimore or Brooklyn?
Rashi answers that we try him in Baltimore (The city
of sin).
Rashi technically learns this from the word analogy
----------------------------------------------------
Dt17-02 When you find someone... in your CITY sinning
Dt17-05 then judge him in the CITY COURT
----------------------------------------------------
Both verses use the Hebrew word Shin-Ayin-Resh (GATE)
which can mean CITY or COURT PLACE. Hence, Rashi
concludes, the CITY of the COURT is IDENTICAL with
the CITY OF SIN
The Rashi commentator Sifsay chachamim tries to
find support for Rashi by noting extra words
------------------------------
Dt17-02 When you find someone
IN YOUR MIDST
IN YOUR CITY
------------------------------
So, says the sifsay chachamim, it looks like the word
CITY is extra and put in to emphasize that CITY OF COURT
is identical with CITY OF SIN.
However I would be less technical in my approach.
I would simply say that JUDICIAL PROCESS requires people
who know the circumstances of sin. Hence it is LOGICAL
that the CITY OF JUSTICE be the CITY OF SIN--since the
witnesses found him sinning in a particular city ----
they should therefore be cross examined by a court who
knows the city.
I think this logical approach preferable to a technical
emphasis on WORD ANALOGIES.
*11 The following footnote summarizes ANOTHER RASHI RULE
which we previously dealt with. Hence this is terse
For full details read the references. The reader
can skip this footnote on a first reading.
The verse says LOT SAT IN THE COURT.
The Hebrew word for SAT is spelled defectively in Hebrew
(It should spell Yud-VAV-shin-beth) but is instead
spelled Yud-shin-beth and is missing a vav)
We have analyzed defectively spelled words in
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/fd-12.htm
We explained there 3 methods for dealing with these
defectively spelled words.
One of these methods is that the defective word
may look like another word--hence there is a pun in
the verse--this pun is intentional and the sentence
should be interpreted to reflect this intentional pun
In this case--Yud-Vav-Shin-Beth means WAS SITTING
--------------Yud-----Shin-Beth means SAT
So Lot was both SAT(PAST) and SITTING (PRESENT).
Rashi plays on this pun and says he was appointed
judge that day--hence the present tense (WAS SITTING)
denoting an action that just happened combined with
a past tense (SAT) denoting someone established.
Please see the above posting for more details
and examples of this rule.
*12 The following footnote summarizes ANOTHER RASHI RULE
which we previously dealt with. Hence this is terse
For full details read the references. The reader
can skip this footnote on a first reading.
We have analyzed defectively spelled words in
http://www.Rashiyomi.com/fd-12.htm
We explained there 3 methods for dealing with these
defectively spelled words.
One of these methods is that an OBJECT WHICH
HAS A PLURALITY when Spelled DEFECTIVELY may
be MISSING part of that PLURALITY. For example
---TABLE would denote a TABLE with 4 legs
---TABL (Wihtout the E) could denote a table with 3 legs
Similarly
-- DOORPOSTS would denote BOTH doorposts
-- DO RPOSTS could denote ONE doorpost.
In Dt09-06 the Hebrew word MEZOZTH is spelled
Mem-Zayin-Vav-Zayin-------Tauv without a 2nd vav
between Zayin and Tauv. Hence the word is spelled
defectively.
Hence when the verse says WRITE THEM ON YOUR MEZOZTH
it requires writing on only ONE doorpost.
But the verse still uses a plural (It could have said
WRITE THEM ON THE DOORPOST OF YOUR HOUSE).
The PLURAL DOORPOSTS would apply if eg you lived in
an apartment building (So you have 2 doorposts--
the door to your apartment and the door to the
apartment building)
Please see the above posting for more details
and examples of this rule.
================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: SYNONYMS
---------------------------------------------------
WARNING: The following additional references may be too wordy
However they frequently contain additional information & lists
The hyperlinks only work on the main website
Volume 15 Number 1
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 15 Number 1